Sourav is the most talented cricketer for me after Tendulkar: Snehshish Ganguly

Snehasish Ganguly, elder brother of former India skipper Sourav Ganguly,regards his younger brother as the most talented cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar. Speaking in an interview with Cricbuzz, he lauded Sourav for his leadership and decision-making skills.

“Sourav is the most talented cricketer for me after Sachin Tendulkar. He is at least 2,000 runs less in Test cricket and 5-6 centuries short. Captaincy pressure took those away from him but what he has achieved as a captain is tremendous. He built the team from an era where we were struggling with match fixing and things like that,” said Snehasish in the interview.

Emphasising on his decision-making skills, the older Ganguly added, “He is very dynamic. He is very firm with the decision he takes. He is organised as well. He is focused and loves the game like no one else.”

Snehashish was an established player at the domestic level at the time when Sourav was still a teenager. However, he never got an opportunity represent India. In March 1990, Snehasish was dropped ahead of the Ranji Trophy final and Sourav was handed his First-Class debut for Bengal. Soon, he began losing interest in becoming a professional in the game and instead began focusing on his family business. He finished with 59 First-Class games, amassed 2,534 runs at 39.59. He believes he could have achieved more, before moving on to provide insights about the most famous Ganguly in the household, Sourav.

Reflecting on the eventful Ranji Trophy final of 1989-90 where the world first saw Sourav, Snehasish feels that some players have “tremendous self-belief” and would have made it big irrespective of the background they came from.

“Players like Sourav Ganguly, or Mahendra Singh Dhoni, no one can stop them. Even if they were born in Tripura, they would have played for India. Players like them, they have such tremendous self-belief that it’s hard to block their way. They come out and become successful no matter what,” Snehasish pointed out.

Though Snehasish hails Jagmohan Dalmiya as a brilliant administrator, he felt it was not right for one man to run CAB for so long and moreover Bengal cricket was not improving. With due respect to his contribution of bringing moolah to the game, Snehashish was concerned that with Dalmiya at the helm, Bengal cricket was not progressing.

Snehasish praised Sourav, the current CAB President for his innovative ideas.

“I always gave him advice. He is a very matured guy. Sourav has been the president for the last six-seven months. He has brought a lot of change, he is bringing in innovative ideas. The India-Pakistan game for example. After so much rain, the match did happen because there was a new drainage system in place. We have got enough money but we need a proper man,” added Snehasish.